The Defense Department plans to hold another round of
consultative talks with unions representing its employees
next Tuesday and Wednesday regarding the “national security
personnel system,” which likely will overhaul key union
rights along with DoD employee pay, disciplinary and other
policies.
DoD in June held two joint sessions with union leaders and
management representatives, the first in what DoD says will
be a series of meetings to obtain union input into the design
of NSPS. An earlier “discussion draft” met with strong union
resistance that translated into objections from some in
Congress, as well.
Meanwhile, DoD working groups continue in areas including
compensation, performance management, hiring, assignment,
pay administration, labor relations and appeals. Those groups
are taking input from a variety of sources, including town
hall meetings, focus groups and meetings with union leadership.
Those working groups will continue at least through
mid-September and meetings with unions are to continue
through September.
DoD says it still intends to publish proposed rules by the
end of the year, which will kick off another round of
collaboration with unions required by the law authorizing
the NSPS.
It also still intends to implement the first phase of NSPS–which
it is calling “Spiral One”–in July 2005. Criteria for
nominating organizations to participate in the first phase
have been set and component nominations are being requested.
The Navy earlier indicated that it expected to be in the first
phase, although that apparently is now less certain than it
once was.